Recent studies have found that frozen tart cherries are one of the few known researched food sources of melatonin, an antioxidant that helps regulate the body’s sleep-wake cycle.

Produced naturally by the body in small amounts, melatonin is related to inducing sleep at night and wakefulness during the day.

Russel J. Reiter, a nutrition researcher at the University of Texas Health Science Center, said eating cherries may be the best way to boost the body’s natural supply of melatonin.

"When eaten regularly, tart cherries may help regulate the body’s natural sleep cycle and increase sleep efficiency, including decreasing the time it takes to fall asleep," Reiter said. "And, because cherries are so rich in other antioxidants, such as anthocyanins, you get other important health benefits."

Melatonin could also be valuable for mitigating the effects of jet lag, new parents and late-shift workers who are thrown off their natural sleeping pattern. Other studies have shown that increasing melatonin can help with sleep-onset insomnia in adults with a melatonin deficiency.

In addition to melatonin, cherries contain powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins that possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging and anti-carcinogenic properties.